Central Asian Youth Talks and Model OSCE concludes in Tajikistan | WPN World People News

The Central Asian Youth Talks and Model OSCE for 34 young people from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe from 10 to 15 May 2018 in Dushanbe and in the town of Romit north east of Dushanbe. During these events, participants discussed modern security challenges and the role of youth in addressing them.

Speaking at the panel session entitled “Promoting the power of dialogue for the shared responsibility in Central Asia”, the Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, Tuula Yrjölä, emphasized the increasing attention of the OSCE participating States to the role of young people in addressing modern security threats. “The OSCE recognizes the importance of the young generation and is focused on mainstreaming the youth agenda in its work and activities.”

His Excellency Mohammad Gul Zalmai Yonusi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Tajikistan, said: “Youth becoming a strong actor in modern politics is an important agent of positive change in the resolution of crisis in Afghanistan. I am really glad to see that young people are ready to talk to each other and issues of security and peace are widely discussed in the context of regional dialogue and confidence building.”

The seminar established a platform of Youth Talks, in which young people throughout the region had a chance to raise important question affecting youth and present their experience and ideas in addressing them.

Presenting their own projects, young people from Central Asia and Afghanistan discussed inclusive education and digital schooling, social entrepreneurship, student self-governance, gender, as well as youth initiatives in rural and remote areas. Thematic workshops on political participation, information management, negotiations and networking enabled the flow of knowledge and skills for responsive citizenship and an inclusive decision-making process.

The event concluded with a Model OSCE simulation, providing young participants with the chance to play the roles of delegates of OSCE participating States dealing with a crisis situation and using the instruments of dialogue and the consensus-based approach.

The event was organized in the framework of the OSCE efforts in supporting democratic political processes in Tajikistan and in Central Asia. The OSCE has facilitated a number of interactive panel discussions exploring the OSCE’s three-dimensional approach to comprehensive security through the high level dialogue, as well as the modus operandi of the Secretariat, its institutions and field operations.

Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe